Apparatus for treating hydrocarbons and the like



May 10, 1932. c. P. DUBBS 1,857,532

' APPARATUS FOR TREATING HYDROCARBONS AND THE LIKE Original Filed Oct. 16. 1920 7k I Swim/QM.

Patented 'May' 10, 1932 I UNITED STATES CARBON P. DUBB S OF WILMETTE, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNOB TO UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS PATENT oF cr.

COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA arrannrus non TREATING maocannons Ann 'rnn LIKE Original application filed November 18, 1914, Serial No. 872,698. Divided. and this application filed October 16, 1920. Serial No. 417,310.

I This application is a divisional of an orig inal application filed by me, November'18, 1914, Serial No. 872,698.

My invention relates to an apparatus for treating hydrocarbons, such as petroleum and the residue therefrom, though in its broader aspects the invention is not limited to the treatment of any particular substance or substances. Y

Among the-salient objects of the invention are to provide an apparatus in which the air, steam, natural gas or other substance injected, has a relatively high velocity at the point of its discharge into the substance treated; to

provide an apparatus for utilizing this high velocity, while keeping the quantity injected su'fiiciently low for practical purposes; toemploy a plurality of comparatively small streams under relatively high pressure, the

size of the openings and the number being.

proportioned to the work to be done and the velocity of discharge desired; to provide an apparatus for adjustably regulating the size of the openings through which the injected substance is discharged into that treated, whereby a lesser quantity of the substance may be injected without decreasing the velocity at the time of its discharge, or the velocity increased while maintaining the same.

quantity; to provide an apparatus for afixing or adding a larger percentage of oxygen to the products; to utilize the high velocity with which the'liquid or gases are injected into the substance treated, to produce a more complete union, mechanical, chemical, or both, between portions of the substance treated and that injected; to provide an apparatus for Y treating the substances by forcing into them at high velocity both steam and air or other combinations of vapors, gases and the like; to employ the velocity of admission of the substance injected as a means for governing the temperature at which the fractional distillation of the hydrocarbon or hydrocarbons treated are distilled oil; to provide an improved apparatuswhereby the hydrocarbons treated can be subjected to pressures ranging from relatively low to excessively high without danger of explosion; to provide an apparatus whereby the temperatures at Renewed August 13, 1930.,

solid at ordinary temperatures, to asphalts of a hard and brittle nature such as mineral rubber and the like; to provide an apparatus for commercially producing hi her quality lubricants and asphalts from eitfi b'ase' oils or the so-called asphaltic base'oils; to provide an' apparatus whereby the hydrocarbons or other substances treated may be subjected to any desired pressure action without the necessity of keeping the substance er parafline I treated under a-like pressure; and in general to provide a new and improved apparatus for treating hydrocarbon oils and the like.

In the accompan ing drawings which il- 75 lustrate, somewhat iagrammatically, my apparatus Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the apparatus, partly in section. v

Fig. 2 1s a cross section showing the control of the perforated pipe 8.

Referring in detail to the drawings and describing first the use of the apparatus in making asphalt, 1 designates the still supported directly over the furnace lugs 2, although various other means for heating the still might be employed At the upper end,

the still is provided with a filling connection 3, and near the bottom with a drawofi' cock 4.

.There is preferably also provided a pyrome-,

ter well 5 and a weighted safety valve 6, all of these parts being of standard construction. Extending downward into the still is an air or steam pipe 7 connected at its lower end with a horizontally extending perforated pipe 8. The pipe 7 is provided with a suitable pressuregauge 9 and a cut-off valve 10, while extending into the tube from its upper end is a pyrometer 11. This pipe 7 is connected to a supply pipe 12 leading from a other substance which it is desired shall be injected into ,the contents of the still 1 through the perforated pipe 8. In certain instances, it may be desirable to increase the pressure under which the substance is forced out of the perforated pipe 8 to a greater pressure than that under which the source of supply is maintained, and for this purpose a pump 13 is employed, although if desired, the pipes 12 and 7 may be connected by a by-pass (not shown) around the pump 13.

In order to provide for raising thetemperature of the substance injected into the still contents, a superhea'ter 14 is employed in the connection between the supply pipe 12 and the pipe 7, although thesuperheater can be cutout of the circuit by closing the valves 15 and 16 and opening the by-pass valves 17 and 18. From the above description it is obvious that the substance ejected from the pipe 8 into the contents of the still may be forced into the pipe 8 at any desired pressure or temperature.

Leading from the top of the still is a gooseneck 19 which connects with the condenser 20 in a plurality of ways hereinafter de-v 27. In addition to the valve 25, the lateral- 23 is provided with a second cutoff valve 28 positioned just beyond the upright 29 which connects the lateral 23 with an air condenser 30. Communication between this air con denser and the lateral 23 is controlled by cut off valve 31. Each of the laterals 23 and 24 connect with an upright line 32, and the air condenser 30 and reflux condenser 21 are also connected tothis. line byvapor pipes 33 and 34, the'latter having a valve 35 and the former a similar valve 36. Additional valves 37 and 38 are provided in the lateral 24 and vapor line 32. h

The condenser 20 at its discharge end is provided with a coupling39 from the lower end of which is a discharge opening controlled by a weighted valve 40. Leading from the upper end of the cross coupling 39 is an escape pipe 41 controlled by suitable valve 42. In addition, to these connections the coupling 39 has a lateral pipe 43 connected with a vacuum pum 44. A valve 45 is employed. for cutting o the pump, and

both the pump and weighted valve cont ol lected in the bottom of the air condenser andoverflow through pipe 46 to suitable storage, the air condenser being maintained at a temperature above the boiling point of water by opening or closing the air valves 47 on thebaflle plate tubes 48. The uncondensed oils and steam pass through pipe 34 intovapor line 32 and into condenser 20.

In certain instances, it is desirable that the vapors be subjected to the high velocity of an injected substance in addition to or substitution of the treatment in the still. For this purpose the supply pipe 12 and extension 49 are connected to a second upright 50, the

latter being provided with a control valve 51 and pressure gauge 52, At its lower end the upright5O discharges into a perforated pipe 53 similar to the perforated pipe 8 employed in the still. The perforated pipe 53 is 10- cated in the lateral 24,.and the latter is surrounded by a furnace 54, whereby its temperature may be raised if desired. The temperature of the vapors at the time they pass into'the lateral 24 is determined by a pyrometer which can be placed at the point marked 55, while the size of the openings 56 in the perforated pipe 53 is controlled by'means of a rotary sleeve valve 57 which is operated by an exterior stem 58. In a similar manner the discharge through the openings 59 in the pipe 8 is'controlled by a valve 60 operatedlot by a stem 61. The purpose of this valve is I to permit the total cross-sectional area of the .discharge openings being increased or diminished toregulate the volume of the injected substance without changing the pressure at which it is supplied; or,-if desired, the volume discharged .through the openings 59 or 56 can be maintained c0nstant'while increasing the velocity with which the injected substance is discharged into the substance treated.

It is obvious from the above description of the apparatus that it is adapted for treating a wide range of substances for produ ing" various products depending upon temperatures and the 'velocity'and' temperature which one or more substances is injected into others. However, in all instances the substance treated is subjected to the action of another substance which is forced into the substance treated at such a velocity as will produce the desired results.

By employing my invention I have secured I 0 i are obtained from the different pet'roleums,

VIII

and asphalts of very high quality obtained from paraflin base oils, which hithereto could not be done. Also, I have roduced 'asphalts of a much higher quality rom the so-called asphaltic base oils. By varying the pressure under which the saturated and superheated steam, or like acting gas, was ejected from the perforated holes of the pipe 8 submerged. in the oils treated, and using various temperatures at which the petroleum was heated, I have succeeded in producing a very high qualit of asphalt ranging from a semisolid at or inary temperature to a hard and treat the same quantity of oil or residuum but decreasing the size of the holes in the perforated pipes so that the substance was ejected from the perforated pipes into the oil or residuum at theproper' pressure, it was found that in refinin tional distillates and asp alts, it is commercially feasible to distill them at a very much lower temperature, and the lubricants distilled ofl were much hi her in quality and a I very .high grade of asp altis produced.

In refining oils and making residuum or asphalts or treating-residuums, the method of operation is as follows:

The still is charged with the properquantity of the substance to be treated. If steam is to be used, either saturated or superheated,

it is injected into the charge in the still at arelatively high velocity, the charge in the still being maintained at the proper temperatures by means of a fire in a furnace under the still. The valves 27, 26 and 28 are closed and the valves 25, 31, 35 and 38 are opened. The vapors will be compelled to pass through the air cooled condenser before bein discharged into the main co' ndenser 20, t e air cooler condensing the distillates having boiling points higher than water, thus preventing such distillates' from emulsifying with the water. Thetemperature of the air cooled condenser 30 is maintained above the boiling point of water.

' If however, the charge in the still 1 is sub-.

jected to treatment by asubstance that will not emulsify with the distillates. on cooling, the path of the vapors may be direct through the lateral 23 into the main condenser 20. To aid in getting the distillates off or recovering the substance injected, the vacuum pump 44 may be employed. In this treatment the conoils for their fractents of the still 1 can be'subjected to the maximum pressure during the entire operation; the quantity of the mjected gas, can ifv wanted, be varied by adjusting the size or number of discharge openings 1n the perforated pipe 8, or if desired. a comparatively low pressure maybe employed at the start and gradually increased until a relatively high rate of discharge from the openings 59 is obtained. The pressure may range from a comparatively few pounds to a pressure in excess of 2000 pounds per square inch above the pressure the charge in-the still is maintained The pressure and temperature can I under. be proportioned to best suit the nature of the substance treated and products desired.

In treating oils, asphalts or other substances for the purpose of afiixing or adding oxygen thereto, the contents of the still are maintained at a temperature below their flashing point and a substance containing oxygen which is either steam or air is injected into the contents of the still from the perforated pipe 8 at a'temperature belbw the flashing tively high velocity. The employment of this high local velocity of discharge of the substance injected into the still contents, results in aflixing or adding alarger percentage of oxygen than was commercially possible in other methods. The pressure employed depends upon the substancetreated and percent of oxygen added, the pressure ranging from a few pounds to over 2000 pounds per square I inch, and if desired a vacuum pump44= may be em loyed. The foregoing pressures can be maintained throughout the entire apparatus or, if desired, the distilling pressure may behigher than the condensing pressure, or in other words, a differential pressure mainained. I I In converting the higher boiling-point oils to lower'boilingpoint oils, such as in making gasoline'from high boiling point residuums or distillates, the valves 25 and 26 are closed, andthevalve 27 opened. The vapors then in passing to the condenser 20 are compelled to pass through the reflux condenser 21, the tem- I perature at which this condenser is 'maintained bein such as to condense and return to the still t ose va ors that do not have a low enough boiling polnt.

In all these cases the controllin factor is the velocity of discharge of the in ected substance and the temperature of the substance treated. It is to be noticed that the method is such that it may be carried out as a continuous process, and while I have shown and described a particular apparatus and described the treatment of certain substances, it is obvious that the invention is not limited to the particular apparatus, products or treatmen of substances enumerated, and I do not desire to limit the invention except as specified in the followingclaims.

point of the substance treated and at a rela; 9

I, claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus adapted for the distillation of petroleum oil under pressure, the combination with a still, of means for heating 5 the contents of the still by means of a heated gas injected into the body of oil in the still, a second heating chamber, connections bev tween the vapor space of the still, and said second heating chamber, means for heating 1: said second chamber, a wat-er condenser, connections between said second heating chamher and said water condenser, a throttle valve interposed in said connections, a throttle valve for regulating the flow ofoil from the i outlet side of said water condenser, and means whereby the vapors which pass out of the still may be bypassed past the second heating chamber.

2. In an apparatus for cracking petroleum oil, the combination with a still, means for heating a body of oil in the still, a plurality of fractional condensers, connections between said still and said fractional condensers whereby either fractional condenser may be placed in communication with the still and reflux condensate returned to the still from one of said condensers, means for withdrawing condensate from the other condenser, a final condenser inicommunication with both of said fractional condensers and means for maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oil in said still.

3. In an apparatus for cracking petroleum oil, the combination with a still, means for heating a body of oil in the still, a plurality of fractional condensers, connections between said still and said fractional condensers whereby either fractional condenser may be 'placed in communication with the still and 40 reflux condensate returned from one of said fractional condensers to the still, means for discharging from the apparatus without further treatment condensate from the other fractional condenser, a final condenser in communication with both of said fractional I condensers and means for maintaining a superatmospheric pressure on the oil in said still and on the vapors passing through either fractional condenser. CARBON P. DUBBS. 

